Networked inequality: The impact of informal practices on recruitment in higher education

This paper draws on social capital theory and feminist perspectives to critically examine the career navigation of Academic South Asian Women (ASAW) in British Higher Education institutions (HEI). While gender and racial inequalities in academia are well-documented (Bhopal and Pitkin, 2020; Rollock, 2019; Ahmed, 2019; Morley, 2014), the specific experiences of ASAW and their access to informal academic networking spaces remain underexplored. Findings reveal a complex interplay of factors enabling and constraining ASAW’s ability to mobilise and benefit from networks. Systemic barriers linked to entrenched white, patriarchal, and racist structures continue to persist. Participants’ narratives highlight both personal moments of realisation (‘snap moments’; Ahmed, 2017) and collective struggles, for example, racial microaggressions, stereotyping, and additional scrutiny within a field marked by exclusionary practices. As a starting point, this study adopts Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, focussing on habitus, capital, and field (Bourdieu and Richardson, 1986). Although this perspective helps explain the types of capital used to navigate, HE, I acknowledge that Bourdieu’s framework has limitations and does not fully capture the position of ASAW. For this reason, I also draw upon the feminist perspectives of Hook (1990) and Ahmed (2012) to help more fully explore the challenges and position of ASAW careers in HE. I thus extend Bourdieu’s concept of capital and explore how other emerging capitals such as professional, digital, hybrid, and emotional capital can be used to mobilise HE careers for marginalised groups like ASAW. I also utilise Critical Race Theory (CRT) scholars (Bell hooks, 2014; Taylor, 2009; Hooks, 1990 and Crenshaw, 1991) to further interrogate the systemic racism embedded in, HE’s policies, procedures, and practices. This paper foregrounds the theme of structural inequality and its reinforcement through informal networks, within recruitment practices. Despite slow progress in diversifying HE, ASAW demonstrate innovative strategies to advance their careers, leveraging alternative capitals, such as digital, external, and emotional capital to challenge dominant norms and forge pathways to success. The research ultimately argues for the transformative potential of these strategies, illustrating how ASAW resist systemic barriers and develop flexible responsive solutions to enhance their positions within academia.